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February 27, 2012
Heracleum sphondylium, aka Cow Parsnip, Eltrot.
Heracleum persicum in the middle east, and heracleum maximum in N. America are closely related, and the seeds of these can be used in similar ways to those described below. I’d recommend conducting your own research around uses/safe handling of those particular species.
Common hogweed’s big brother Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum, also occasionally known as Giant cow parsley, Giant cow parsnip and Hogsbane), which should not be handled or eaten, is also discussed at length below.
Common hogweed is a startlingly delicious vegetable and an amazingly versatile wild spice – my favourite of all edible wild plants in fact. But getting to know and safely eat it is not as straightforward as many other plants on this website. However, if you work your way though all the important considerations below and invest a little time getting to know this plant, I guarantee it will reward you many times over.
Heracleum sphondylium, aka Cow Parsnip, Eltrot.
Heracleum persicum in the middle east, and heracleum maximum in N. America are closely related, and the seeds of these can be used in similar ways to those described below. I’d recommend conducting your own research around uses/safe handling of those particular species.
Common hogweed’s big brother Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum, also occasionally known as Giant cow parsley, Giant cow parsnip and Hogsbane), which should not be handled or eaten, is also discussed at length below.
Common hogweed is a startlingly delicious vegetable and an amazingly versatile wild spice – my favourite of all edible wild plants in fact. But getting to know and safely eat it is not as straightforward as many other plants on this website. However, if you work your way though all the important considerations below and invest a little time getting to know this plant, I guarantee it will reward you many times over.
- Edibility – Be sure to read information on safe handling below. I do not recommend eating any part of common hogweed raw.
- Young shoots, green flower buds florets – cooked – 5/5 – the finest tasting vegetable (wild or cultivated) in the UK in my opinion!
- Seeds – 4/5 – pickled when green or used as a spice, especially when dried. More on these here.
- Mature leaves – 1/5 – Generally best avoided, but there is a history of fermenting them in E. European countries.
- Roots – 2/5 – great flavour, but very woody.
- Identification – 3/5 – one of the easier of the potentially deadly carrot family to ID, but caution still necessary as the tasty young shoots are not fully formed. Learn more about the carrot family and how to develop your ID skills in my Introduction to the Carrot Family for Foragers. And remember – we are talking about common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) here – not giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), which should not be eaten or even handled – please read to the end of this post for detailed pictures of giant hogweed. Care should also be taken when handling common hogweed – see below.
- Distribution – 5/5 – Very common
- Season – March – September, seeds can persist on old umbels well into the following year, especially in sheltered locations.
- Habitat – Verges, hedgerows, field/wood edges, waste ground, rough fields and unkempt gardens. – particularly abundant around the coast, though not specifically a maritime plant
